Factors to Consider Ahead of Comcast's (CMCSA) Q3 Earnings
Comcast CMCSA is set to report third-quarter 2021 results on Oct 28.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2021 revenues is pegged at $29.8 billion, indicating 16.7% growth from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
The consensus mark for earnings has remained steady at 76 cents per share over the past 30 days, suggesting an increase of 16.9% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
Comcast beat on earnings in all the trailing four quarters, the average being 23.9%.
Let’s see how things have shaped up prior to this announcement.
Comcast Corporation Price and EPS Surprise
Comcast Corporation price-eps-surprise | Comcast Corporation Quote
Internet Subscriber Base Growth: A Key Catalyst
Comcast’s third-quarter 2021 results are expected to benefit from an increased number of high-speed Internet subscribers fueled by a continued spike in media consumption and the work-from-home wave, which is expected to have aided this cable giant.
Additionally, improvement in customer experience owing to expanded Wi-Fi coverage and innovative xFi control features are expected to have aided subscriber growth. On Jul 20, Comcast Business announced the launch of its wireless mobile service for small businesses, Comcast Business Mobile, across the United States. The service offers Comcast Business Internet customers up to 10 lines with no line access fees.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cable Communication – High Speed Internet revenues is pegged at $5.81 billion, indicating 11.9% growth from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
Comcast’s wireless business added 280K lines in second-quarter 2021. The momentum is expected to have continued in the to-be-reported quarter.
Apart from expansion of the Verizon MVNO agreement, retail store reopenings, and strong marketing and sales channel are expected to have aided wireless revenues.
Moreover, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cable Communication revenues is pegged at $16 billion, implying 6.7% growth from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
Increase in NBCUniversal’s Revenues to Aid Top Line
Comcast’s NBCUniversal revenues are expected to have benefited from resumption in film releases and improving demand for sports advertising revenues.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NBCUniversal revenues stands at $9.19 billion, implying 36.8% growth from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
NBCUniversal’s theme park revenues are expected to have reflected growth driven by the resumption of services in Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan.
The consensus mark for Theme Parks’ revenues is pegged at $1.29 billion. The company had reported revenues of $311 million in the year-ago quarter.
Besides, NCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is expected to have gained users, thanks to its solid content portfolio.
Sky Revenues to Recover
Sky’s top-line growth is expected to have benefited from the resumption of sports-content coverage in the to-be-reported quarter. Strong advertising and content revenues are expected to have aided growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sky revenues is pegged at $5.15 billion, implying 7.5% growth from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
What Our Model Says
According to the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that’s not the case here.
Comcast has an Earnings ESP of -4.36% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks to Consider
Here are a few companies you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in their upcoming releases:
Amphenol Corporation APH has an Earnings ESP of +1.02% and a Zacks Rank of 2, currently. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
CACI International CACI has an Earnings ESP of +4.43% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.
Apple Inc. AAPL has an Earnings ESP of +5.69% and is Zacks #3 Ranked.
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